By Donnelly Clare

I adore novelty holiday treats. Adding a bit of color or silliness always seems to make the holiday a little more fun. In this country, St. Patrick’s Day might focus on the very Americanized implements of corned beef, cabbage and beer, but it’s still a fun holiday for bakers.

The beauty of this recipe is it’s very difficult to screw up. Even if you’re not proficient in the kitchen, give this recipe a try. Your kids- and your friends- will love it.

You will need:

2 cup(s) Lucky Charms (just cereal, no marshmallows)

1 1/2 cup(s) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon(s) baking soda

1 teaspoon(s) salt

2 stick(s) (16 tablespoons) butter, at room temperature

1 cup(s) granulated sugar

3/4 cup(s) packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup(s) Lucky Charms marshmallow bits

1/2 cup(s) (or up to 3/4 cup, if desired) white chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 275. Spray down a cookie sheet with nonstick food spray, or line with wax paper.

Now you’ll need to grind your Lucky Charms. You can do this with a food processor, but I prefer to seal the cereal in a heavy duty zip lock bag (I typically double bag in case one bag rips open) and roll the heck out of it with a rolling pin.

In a mixing bowl combine the ground cereal with flour, baking soda and salt. Whisk.

In a separate bowl beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar for 4 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, until combined. Add flour mixture all at once and beat until it is just combined.

Fold in marshmallow bits and chocolate chips using a spatula or wooden spoon. Cover and refrigerate dough 30 minutes.

Scoop dough, in rounded tablespoons, onto prepared cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until pale golden. Let the cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.